Her resignation, less than three years after an emphatic election victory, has ignited national debate about vitriol faced by women leaders
\n WELLINGTON
\nNew Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday she was grateful for her time in office, insisting that a sustained barrage of online abuse was not the reason for her shock resignation.
\nThe 42-year-old said last week she no longer had \u201cenough in the tank\u201d after a turbulent five years, during which she steered the country through natural disasters, its worst-ever terror attack and the COVID-19 pandemic.
\nHer resignation, less than three years after an emphatic election victory, has ignited a national debate about the vitriol faced by women leaders, especially on social media.
\nChris Hipkins, who will take over as prime minister, has said Ardern experienced \u201cutterly abhorrent\u201d abuse while leading the country.
\nArdern however said she would not describe it that way.
\nWhile on her last public engagement as prime minister, visiting the Maori settlement of Ratana in the North Island, she said she would \u201chate\u201d for her departure to be seen as \u201ca negative commentary on New Zealand\u201d
\n\u201cI leave feeling gratitude for having this wonderful role for so many years,\u201d she told reporters from the birthplace of one of the country\u00b4s most influential indigenous political movements.
\nThe popularity of Ardern\u2019s Labour government has soured in recent months, hampered by a looming recession and a resurgent conservative opposition.
\nHipkins will be sworn in as prime minister on Wednesday, saying it was \u201cbittersweet\u201d to replace his friend of 20 years.
\n\u201cI\u00b4m really honoured to take on the role, but Jacinda is also a very good friend of mine,\u201d he told reporters Tuesday.
\nHipkins, 44, admitted there were \u201cmoments when it sinks in, and moments when it doesn\u00b4t feel quite real\u201d.
\nArdern said she would now be stepping back from domestic politics, and offered some advice for Hipkins.
\n\u201cProbably the most important advice I gave him was \u2018you do you\u2019,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s for him to carve out his own space and be his own kind of leader.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Her resignation, less than three years after an emphatic election victory, has ignited national debate about vitriol faced by women leaders WELLINGTON New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday she was grateful for her time in office, insisting that a sustained barrage of online abuse was not the reason for her shock resignation. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":309506,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-309500","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n